Chris Brautigam, spokesman towards the initially Cavalry Department, disputes that claim

But not, a keen Aug. 23 pr release in the initial Cavalry Section stated, “Contained in this times from Sgt. Fernandes’ disappearance, troops from their device to your Fort Hood started a thorough lookup for your, both on and off blog post, that can continue up until he could be located.”

“Which is obviously untrue,” Kesten said. “Precisely what the members of the family has said are constantly genuine, which is that in case they got around one absolutely nothing got happened.”

Ultimately, CID is notified

“In addition to the initially tries to arrive at Sgt. Fernandes by the mobile and you may using visits so you can his home to attempt to acquire him, these devices held thorough online searches of your product town and you may coordinated having regional law enforcement,” he told you. “On top of that, the device immediately attempted to contact their lover, their sis-in-law/roommate, with his close friends to try and to obtain your.”

Whenever Ailina Fernandes arrived, she ran first towards Fort Bonnet Armed forces Cops route, and that sent the girl on the Killeen Police Institution, Kesten said.

Within this forty-five times, CID investigators made their very first phone call so you’re able to a buddies frontrunner contained in this the 553rd Treat Support Sustainment Battalion, who had been getting ready to deploy so you’re able to Kuwait a day later. The chief had the completely wrong hospital release big date getting Fernandes and you may are “uncertain” if he had been assigned to buttocks withdrawal.

Efforts enhanced the next day with Fernandes’ device assisting CID that have searching the base, contacting local lodging, businesses and homeless shelters just before increasing further so you’re able to Waco, Dallas and San Antonio, depending on the CID declaration therefore the section.

After days without a lot of improvements, the latest soldier’s father, Eugenio Fernandes, the new national movie director out-of police in the nation regarding Cape Verde, pleaded for the a call for investigators locate his kid.

“We inquire along with my personal cardiovascular system that you simply take a great care of this case while the I want to understand the information about what took place back at my guy,” the guy said through a great Foreign language translator. “We trust you [REDACTED] will perform good work so as that I’m better. I’m very unwell into information regarding my man. I am not saying doing well.”

Changing policyIn December, the new Armed forces established transform to help you the plan and you will standards for forgotten troops that focus on acting within the earliest 48 hours. The latest directive included “obvious standard and obligations from product commanders and you can Military law enforcement regulators,” then-Armed forces Secretary Ryan McCarthy told you.

The service created the designation out-of “absent-unknown” as the an excellent 48-hour transitory obligations standing. When your second, brand new Army tend to on the other hand initiate a good “responsibility updates whereabouts not familiar,” known as DUSTWUN. Beginning a beneficial DUSTWUN casualty case gets the friends with an excellent liaison officer if you are wanting to to find brand new lost soldier.

These types of change was basically announced with the discharge of research from the the brand new Fort Hood Separate Comment Committee, a civil-added comment board one to bought at Fort Hood that “no body accepted the slippage in liability steps” so company website there was an enthusiastic “unwillingness or failure out-of noncommissioned officials to keep up with of their subordinates.”

Because date, commanders need determine whether an excellent soldier’s lack is actually voluntary and that classify him or her given that AWOL, or if perhaps new soldier was missing

Without the authoritative protocols to own soldiers exactly who are not able to declaration, leadership and you will armed forces cops in the Fort Bonnet took “a random method of efficiently target instances of destroyed soldiers inside the critical basic 1 day, once more which have unfavorable effects.”

McCarthy appointed the newest panel when you look at the July to review Fort Hood just after brand new disappearance and you will loss of Spc. Vanessa Guillen. The latest 20-year-dated is slain because of the an other Fort Bonnet soldier towards the feet. It got investigators over two months locate the woman body buried along a river miles on the legs.